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Tiffany Henyard
Mayor of Dolton
Assumed office
May 8, 2021
Preceded byRiley Rogers
Supervisor of Thornton Township
Assumed office
March 3, 2022
Preceded by Frank Zuccarelli
Dolton Village Trustee
In office
May 2013 – May 2021
Personal details
Born (1983-06-18) June 18, 1983 (age 40)
Dolton, Illinois, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Education Robert Morris University Illinois
Website

Tiffany Aiesha Henyard [1] (born June 18, 1983) [2] is an American politician currently serving as the mayor of Dolton, Illinois, since 2021 and as Thornton Township supervisor since 2022. She previously served two terms as a member of the Dolton Village Board of Trustees from 2013 through 2021. Henyard won election as a trustee in 2013 and 2017, and election as mayor in 2021. She was appointed supervisor in 2022.

As mayor and supervisor, Henyard has become embroiled in scandals involving allegations of financial mismanagement, corruption, fraud, and other misconduct. She has been at odds with the majority of the village's Board of Trustees. In early 2024, the Illinois Attorney General's office began scrutinizing Henyard's activities as mayor and her nonprofit organization. In late February 2024, it was revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was interviewing witnesses about Henyard. Henyard is also under civil investigation by the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and is a defendant in a number of lawsuits. Mayor Henyard has been described as one of the most corrupt small town Mayors in the United States by those who live in Dolton. She allegedly has corrupted the entire Police Force to be used as a private security force for herself and uses them to retaliate against her perceived political enemies including city small businesses. The Police Force has been alleged to provide her security 24 hours a day leading to massive overtime bills for Police Officers assigned to her security. As of April 19th, 2024, the FBI has entered the Dolton City Hall to serve subpoenas for records related to the alleged corruption by members of the town governement. Also at this time, the City of Dolton is said to be several millions dollars in the red due to the leadership of Mayor Henyard.

Early life, education, and career

Henyard grew up in Dolton, [3] and graduated from Thornridge High School. [4] She received a degree in business administration from Robert Morris University Illinois. [3] Henyard is a lifelong resident of Dolton. [5]

In 2011, Henyard got her start in government and politics by working on then-governor Pat Quinn's "Put Illinois to Work" initiative. [6]

Henyard regards Dorothy Brown, the former longtime Cook County clerk of courts, to have been her mentor. [7] She regards Frank Zuccarelli, the late longtime supervisor of Thornton Township, to have been another mentor of hers. Conversely, Tiffany has also used racial slurs to describe the previous administration under Frank Zuccarelli as corrupt. During a town meeting with Trustees, she alleged that there was theft of public monies by Zuccarelli, describing the Zuccarelli administration using the phrase, “white is right” (Lansing Journal youtube, March 2024) . [6]

Dolton village trustee (2013–2021)

Henyard served as a village trustee of Dolton, [8] having first won election in the 2013 plurality-at-large election. [9] Supporters dubbed Henyard the "People's Trustee". [10] She was re-elected in 2017. [11]

Henyard became a sharp critic of Mayor Riley Rogers. [12] She was one of only two trustees to vote against overturning Rogers' veto on the city's budget appropriation for the 2018–19 fiscal year. With the board of trustees successfully overriding the veto in a 4–2 vote, ten village employees were immediately laid off from their positions. [13] In 2018, she joined several other village trustees in launching a legal challenge to block ballot measures championed by Rogers from appearing on the ballot. The challenge was unsuccessful. However, the separate ballot measures on whether to reduce the size of the board of trustees and whether place term limits on board membership both failed before voters. [14] [15]

As a trustee, Henyard started the city's "Block by Block" program, which allowed people to purchase vacant houses for $5,000 in aims of allowing the city to begin again collecting tax revenue from those properties. [10]

In August 2019, CBS 2 Chicago ( WBBM-TV) reported that a residence which Henyard owned as a landlord and for which she received Section 8 housing subsidies had a severe mold problem, as well as issues with water leakage. In November 2019, the same channel reported that the residence's mold situation had become severe enough that it was deemed uninhabitable and its tenant was forced to move out, but that Henyard had continued to receive Section 8 Housing subsidies. [16] [17] Her tenant accused her of failing to remedy the mold problem, and media scrutiny raised more concerns over the prior inspection history of the property. [18]

2021 mayoral campaign

Henyard had indicated her interest in running for mayor as early as 2018. [14] She announced her candidacy in October 2020. [3] At a 2021 event advertised to be the kickoff for her mayoral campaign, Henyard gave away free gasoline. Legal experts told CBS 2 Chicago that the move was legally questionable, and might be seen as vote buying. Henyard's campaign refuted accusations of vote buying. [19] Tony Valukas, who had been the Reagan-era U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, contributed $5,000 to Henyard's campaign committee and endorsed one the of the trustee candidates that she herself had co-endorsed for election. [20] During the campaign, Mayor Rogers suffered a stroke. Henyard publicly wished him well. [20]

Henyard ran on a reform platform that criticized Rogers' mayoralty. [12] Touting herself as a "change" candidate, she declared that she would bring a government of, "love, transparency and accountability". [20]

Henyard was elected as mayor of Dolton in 2021. She defeated incumbent mayor Riley Rogers in a four-way primary for the Democratic nomination. She received more than 34% of the vote against Rogers, Andrew Holmes (a village trustee and community activist), and Robert Shaw (a politician who was the brother of the deceased past Dolton mayor William Shaw). [9] [18] [21] She went on to defeat independent candidate Ronnie Burge in the April general election, winning approximately 82% of the vote. [19] Burge was the current police chief of nearby Dixmoor, Illinois, and had formerly been Dolton's police chief. [9]

Henyard ran with a slate that she dubbed the "Dream Team". From this slate, two of the three trustee candidates were elected (Kiana Belcher and incumbent Jason House), as was village clerk candidate Alison Key. [9] [22] Her relationship with these individuals would sour. [23] By April 2022 (roughly a year after the election), the three were joining most of the village board in pursuing legal action against Henyard. [24] [25]

Mayoral tenure (2021–present)

Henyard was sworn in as mayor on May 8, 2021, becoming the first female mayor of the village, as well as the youngest in its history (being 37 years old). [26]

In February 2024, Fox 32 Chicago ( WFLD) reported that numerous individuals in Dolton had confirmed to them that they were interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as part of an evident probe into Henyard's activities as mayor. [27] The Chicago Tribune soon after reported that an unnamed law enforcement official had confirmed to them that a FBI investigation into Henyard existed. [28] The Dolton Board of Trustees' legislative counsel, Burt Odelson, noted in April 2024 that the village government was a defendant in almost forty active lawsuits related to Henyard's conduct. [29]

Relationship with the village board of trustees

Within the first half-year of her tenure Henyard faced criticism from trustees. [30] [31] Areas of criticism have included her use of municipal funds; [32] and a lack of government transparency. [33] Within her first year as mayor, the village board filed a lawsuit against Henyard which alleged that she had conflicts of interest. [34] In response, she has accused select members of the village board of causing upheaval [8] and locked trustees out of their offices, canceling board meetings. The trustees then held meetings without her presence [31] and censured her in October 2021. [35]

In February 2024, the board of trustees adopted a resolution addressed to the Cook County state's attorney, United States attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Cook County sheriff, and the Illinois State Board of Elections calling for an investigation into Henyard. Henyard vetoed the resolution. [36] Her veto was overridden on April 8. [37]

Accusations of retaliation and civil rights violations

Numerous village residents, employees, and business owners have accused Henyard of using her position to retaliate against perceived political opposition, including alleged use by Henyard of the village police force to harass businesses whose owners had not supported her and extort business owners for campaign contributions from business owners. [8] [38] [39] [40] She has also been accused of firing several village employees for political reasons. [39] [41]

In early 2024, Redeemed Christian Church of God Resurrection Power Assembly filed a lawsuit against Henyard and the Village of Dolton alleging that the village had discriminated against them. The suit asserts that the village not act in accordance with the its zoning codes when it prevented the church from renovating a building it had acquired. [42] [43]

Illinois Department of Human Rights investigation

In March 2024, after reviewing files obtained through a Freedom of Information request, NBC Chicago ( WMAQ-TV) made public that the Illinois Department of Human Rights is investigating a matter against Henyard, the Village of Dolton, and Thornton Township in which Henyard's former assistant alleged to have been sexually assaulted by a village trustee and subsequently retaliated against by Henyard. The investigation stems from two separate complaints about the matter. Both complainants asked the Illinois Department of Human Rights to help them to receive back pay, front pay, attorney's fees, and punitive damages. [44] Henyard has alleged that these allegations are false and are from "disgruntled" employees. [45]

Spending

By 2022, Henyard faced allegations of spending village funds without proper approval from the board of trustees or the village clerk. [46] [47] Trustees and Henyard argued at council meetings over city spending. [48] In January 2024, city trustee Brittney Norwood expressed worry that Dolton was headed towards bankruptcy due to the spending, noting that it had $7 million in debt. Village trustees have expressed concern about the village's debt, and that it was not meeting its financial obligations. [49]

In February 2024, the village board of trustees, in a 4–2 vote, overrode Henyard's veto of their budget for the 2024–25 fiscal year, which included budget cuts. [50] Henyard alleged that the cuts in the budget would bankrupt Dolton. [51] In February 2024, the village was warned by a lender[ who?] that thirteen vehicles used by the police department are at risk of repossession. Henyard argued that the village board trustees had refused to permit payment on the vehicles, which Village Trustee Jason House refuted countering that such payments had been approved by the board months earlier. [52]

Appointment and hiring actions

One of Henyard's first actions after becoming mayor was hiring Robert Collins to serve as Dolton's police chief. Collins had previously served in the position, but had resigned the previous year. She retained Steven McCain as the city's fire chief. [26] In October 2023, Henyard fired Collins. [53] In early 2024, Collins filed a wrongful termination lawsuit alleging that his dismissal had come without cause and without approval from the village board, and that it had been motivated as retribution for the mayor's perception of his wife and a number of his personal acquaintances as being political adversaries. [54]

In October 2021, the board of trustees voted to require Henyard to make any hiring or firing of village employees subject to the board's advice and consent. [35] Village trustees have accused Henyard of disregarding this and continuing to make staffing changes without their advice and consent. [46]

Policing

In 2021, the fatal shooting by a police officer brought civil unrest in Dolton and criticism of Henyard by protesters. [55] [56]

Security detail

In September 2023, Fox 32 Chicago published an investigative report on Henyard's use of a police security detail, noting that this practice cost Dolton citizens hundreds of thousands annually. [57]

Critics of Henyard on the board of trustees[ who?] have characterized Henyard's redirection of police resources towards her own security detail as being to the detriment of public safety in Dolton. [33] In October 2021, the board of trustees voted to attempt to require her to pay the city back for her police protection. [35] In February 2024, Black Enterprise reported that Henyard's security detail had already cost the village approximately $1 million. [38] In March 2024, Fox 32 Chicago reported on work records it received via a Freedom of Information Request which showed her security detail being paid for a substantial number of work hours and overtime hours, with one officer having previously been paid for 303 hours in a two-week period. [58]

Other actions

In early 2024, Samysha Williams, who had been a candidate in the 2023 Dolton village trustee elections, filed to sue Henyard and Henyard's campaign committee for libel and defamation. In the same lawsuit, the individual alleged that she had been wrongfully terminated in 2022 from her job with the village while taking family leave. [59]

Recall attempt

In April 2022, the Dolton Village Board added two questions aimed at recalling Henyard to a ballot on June 28, 2022, the same time as primaries for the 2022 Illinois elections. The first question would have established a recall mechanism, [a] and the second would have recalled Henyard. [b] In June 2022, Judge Paul Karkula directed the Cook County Clerk to disregard votes cast on the referendums, however the Illinois Appellate Court granted a partial stay of the ruling, directing the clerk to tally ballots. [61] Both questions passed, with 56.5% of voters voting to establish the recall mechanism and 56.1% of voters voting to recall Henyard. [62] Henyard said that these results were due to her supporters not voting due to the chaotic nature of the court cases. [61] The Illinois Appellate Court ruled on October 6, 2022, that the referenda were illegal, and issued a permanent injunction against the certification of them. [60]

Thornton Township Supervisor (2022–present)

Appointment to the office

Following the death of incumbent Frank Zuccarelli, Henyard was appointed and sworn in as the supervisor of the Thornton Township on March 3, 2022. She was appointed by the Thornton Township Board in a vote that took place close to a legal deadline for the board to fill the position, after which they would have ceded the appointment decision to a town hall-style meeting of township electors. [4] [63] Henyard was chosen over eight other individuals nominated for the position. [63] Thornton Township is one of 29 civil townships in Cook County, Illinois, and overlaps with Dolton.[ citation needed] It is one of the largest townships in Illinois, and employs more than 170 individuals, some full-time and others part-time. [6] It contains several of the state's most impoverished communities. [64] Henyard is the youngest person, the first woman, and the first African American supervisor of Thornton Township. [34]

Spending and finances

Henyard has alleged that she inherited a problematic financial situation in the township. When she took office, allegedly the township's payrolls were compensating "ghost employees" who did little work and the township had a $5 million budget deficit. She has asserted that she has addressed that deficit. [65]

Assistance programs

Henyard has continued the Zuccarelli Assistance Program (ZAP), renaming it the Henyard Assistance Program (HAP). [66] This program gives teenagers above the age of sixteen summer jobs mowing the lawns of senior citizens. [67]

In February 2024, with Henyard's backing, the township board earmarked $1 million dollars for assistance to those behind on their rents and mortgages through the township's general assistance department. Henyard described the program as providing a maximum of $3,000 in aid to individuals at least two months behind on such payments, but not those already in the process of being evicted. Sources of funding for the program were not explicitly identified. [68]

In both April 2023 and March 2024, Henyard and the township board presented voters with ballot referendums on whether create a 0.15% township property tax that would have been earmarked for mental health services. It was estimated that the tax would generate $3 million annually. [69] [70] In April 2023, voters rejected the proposal by a vote of 51% to 49%. [70] Ahead of the March 2024 vote, mayors from eleven out of the seventeen municipalities in the township co-signed an open letter urging for residents to vote against the referendum. The mayors cited what they say was a lack of details from Henyard on how the funds would be spent. [69] [71] In that vote, voters again rejected the proposal, this time by a double-digit margin. [72]

Salary, and decrease for future supervisors

Henyard's annual salary as supervisor is $224,000, equal to her predecessor's since 2017. At Henyard's urging, in December 2023 the township adopted a resolution that will result in a future 90% decrease to the supervisor's salary. However, this decrease is only to come into effect for the next supervisor, meaning that the supervisor salary will remain the same as long as her tenure continues. While Henyard will retain a salary $224,000 so long as she (as the incumbent) continues to hold the office of township supervisor, any successor will be paid a $25,000 salary in the same office. [73] Similar salary decreases were passed for future township trustees, also retaining current salaries for incumbents so long as they continue to hold office. [74]

Municipal attorney Burt Odelson, who stands in political opposition to Henyard, called the move, "so illegal in so many ways" and "violates so many tenets of the law." Odelson called it, "maybe the worst attempt to try to dissuade people from running [for office as challengers]". He argued that equal protection requires salaries to be "identity blind", meaning that they cannot change based upon who holds the office. [75]

Accusations of retaliation

In August 2023, Henyard was accused of having locked the township assessor, a political adversary, out of the assessor's own office in an apparent act of retaliation. [76] [77] In late-February 2024, reporters were barred from attending a public township Black History Month event, being told that they would need to sign a non-disclosure agreement in order to be granted admission. [78]

In 2024, a lawsuit was filed against Henyard and the township by a former township employee alleging that they had faced retribution for their refusal to compile a document for Henyard detailing "dirt" on township employees and their decision to take a leave of absence which they were entitled to under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The plaintiff alleges that, after the end of her leave, she was refused entry into the township building and forced to complete her work in her car. The plaintiff alleges that her employment was terminated after complaining about six weeks of pay she had not received. [41]

Tiffany Henyard Cares nonprofit

Henyard founded Tiffany Henyard Cares, a charitable nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to assist individuals with cancer. [32] CARES is a backronym for "Cancer and Remission Empowering Survivors". [79] Henyard's nonprofit has received significant promotion on her government websites and government social media accounts. [80]

In May 2023, an investigative report by Fox 32 Chicago made allegations of misconduct regarding municipal government interaction with the foundation, alleging that Henyard had, "funneled thousands of dollars in taxpayer money to a private foundation that bears her name." The report noted that thousands of taxpayer dollars had been spent on a group bicycle ride to the state capitol in Springfield, Illinois to support a bill related to breast cancer, despite the fact that the state legislature was not in session at the time and that the cited bill was never formally filed. The report also pointed out that the officers of the organization also worked for the city government. [81]

A January 2024 investigation by WGN-TV's investigative journalism team reported that, "the Tiffany Henyard Cares Foundation benefited from money, manpower and promotion from the village of Dolton and Thornton Township, two municipalities led by Henyard." Their reporting noted that the registered agent of the nonprofit is Keith Freeman, who is also the village administrator of Dolton and an advisor to Henyard in her Thornton Township position. It also noted that the township spent $10,248 on hotels that were on the route of a 2022 protest traveling between Dolton and Springfield, Illinois that was sponsored by the nonprofit, and there have been instances where township trustees were requested to approve large sums of funding to be directed to the charity. [80]

In January 2024, it was reported that the nonprofit had not been filing the required basic financial reports that charities and non-profits are required to, even after the Office of the Attorney General of Illinois had previously written to the nonprofit about this failure. In a follow-up letter dated January 17, 2024, the office's charitable trusts bureau informed the nonprofit that if they failed to comply by February 16, the bureau would pursue, "all available legal remedies in obtaining compliance with the Illinois charitable organization laws." [80] After the charity failed to meet this deadline, the Illinois Attorney General's Office ordered it to cease soliciting donations, and threatened to take action to recover money that had been paid to its board members and staff. [82] The Illinois Attorney General's Office also noted that the nonprofit is not in good standing nor registered with the state. [79]

In March 2024, a representative of the nonprofit responded to the Illinois Attorney General's Office, but provided an incomplete filings that lacked key records on its finances. The incomplete filing illustrated that nearly all of the nonprofit's funding came from township and village taxpayer money. [83]

Personal life

Henyard is a single mother. [6] [26] [84]

Henyard previously owned a restaurant named "Good Burger", originally located in Calumet City and then on the campus of South Suburban College. [85] [5]

Awards and recognition

At a local "Martin Luther King Jr. Business Brunch" in 2024, Henyard received the "Martin Luther King Service Award". [86]

Electoral history

2013 Dolton village trustee
2013 Dolton village trustees election Democratic primary [87]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tiffany Henyard 692 35.04
Democratic Robert E. Hunt Jr. 663 33.57
write-in Mary Kay Duggan 338 17.11
write-in Stanley "Stan" Brown 282 14.28
Total votes 1,975 100
2013 Dolton village trustees election [88]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert E. Hunt Jr. 1,648 17.29
Democratic Tiffany A. Henyard 1,574 16.52
Democratic Stanley "Stan" Brown 1,479 15.52
People's Party Of Dolton Deborah Green 873 9.16
Unified for Progress Denise Harris 707 7.42
People's Party Of Dolton William Lochart 652 6.84
Unified for Progress James T. Jefferson 600 6.30
People's Party Of Dolton Willie Lee Lowe Jr. 576 6.04
Unified for Progress Charles Walls 560 5.88
Independent Garrett Ghezzi 278 2.92
Visionary Katina Washington 205 2.15
Visionary Aaron Brown 199 2.09
Visionary Krystel Russell 171 1.79
write-in Others 7 0.07
Total votes 9,529 100
2019 Dolton village trustee
2019 Dolton village trustees election Democratic primary [89]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Deborah M. Denton 1,716 16.11
Democratic Tiffany A. Henyard (incumbent) 1,606 15.08
Democratic Jason House 1,483 13.92
Democratic Robert E. Hunt Jr. 1,407 13.21
Democratic Meryl "Deneen" Williams 1,372 12.88
Democratic Ernesto E. Mickens 1,278 12.00
Democratic Felita D. Crayton 475 4.46
Democratic Mary E. Avent 390 3.66
Democratic Stanford J. Culp 340 3.19
Democratic Kevin A. Boens 272 2.55
Democratic Willie L. Lowe Jr. 211 1.98
Democratic Helaine Yates 103 0.97
Total votes 10,653 100
2017 Dolton village trustees election [11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Deborah M. Denton 897 34.41
Democratic Tiffany A. Henyard (incumbent) 807 30.96
Democratic Jason House 856 32.83
write-in Others 47 1.80
Total votes 2,607 100
2021 Dolton mayoral
2021 Dolton mayoral Democratic primary election [90]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tiffany A. Henyard 1,001 34.28
Democratic Riley Rogers (incumbent) 888 30.41
Democratic Andrew Holmes 862 29.52
Democratic Robert Shaw 169 5.79
Total votes 2,920 100
2021 Dolton mayoral general election [91]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tiffany A. Henyard 2,036 82.03
Independent Ronnie Burge 446 17.97
Total votes 2,482 100
Democratic hold

Notes

  1. ^ The text of the question read as "Shall the following recall mechanism be adopted and effective immediately, upon certification by the County Clerk, for the Village of Dolton?: Recall of the Village President (Mayor) Recall of the Village President (Mayor) of the Village of Dolton is established, applicable to, and effective as of the certification of results of the June 28, 2022 General Primary Election. 'Recall' shall mean the power of the electorate of the Village of Dolton to remove the Village President (Mayor) from office, and to immediately create a vacancy in the office of the Village President (Mayor) to be filled in the manner provided by law for filling such vacancy, by a majority vote of those voting on a question of whether to recall and remove the Village President (Mayor) of the Village of Dolton at a regularly scheduled election. Said question of whether to recall and remove the Village President (Mayor) of the Village of Dolton may be submitted either by resolution of the Dolton Corporate Authorities or by petition in the manner prescribed by law for the submission of public questions." [60]
  2. ^ The text of the question read as "If the recall mechanism is passed by a majority of voters at the June 28, 2022 General Primary Election, shall Tiffany A. Henyard be recalled and removed from the office of Village President (Mayor) of the Village of Dolton, effective upon certification of the election results by the Cook County Clerk?" [60]

References

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  42. ^ "Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard sued by church for alleged discrimination". Fox 32 Chicago. March 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
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  50. ^ Nolan, Mike (February 6, 2024). "Dolton trustees override Mayor Tiffany Henyard's veto of budget cuts". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  51. ^ Nolan, Mike (January 13, 2024). "Dolton mayor tags some trustees as expendable during recent budget OK, calling them 'bench warmers'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  52. ^ Bradley, Ben; Spinelli, Courtney; Schroedter, Andrew (February 16, 2024). "Repossession isn't Dolton mayor's first car trouble". WGN-TV. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  53. ^ Nolan, Mike (October 11, 2023). "Fired Dolton police Chief Robert Collins explores legal options; was among Mayor Tiffany Henyard's first appointments". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  54. ^ Placo, Dane. "Former Dolton police chief exposes Mayor Tiffany Henyard's alleged misuse of police detail". Fox 32 Chicago. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  55. ^ Slowik, Ted (September 22, 2021). "Column: A fatal police shooting in Dolton has created tension among mayor, trustees". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  56. ^ "Protests Over Dolton Police Shooting That Killed 19-Year-Old Alexis Wilson End With Arrests – CBS Chicago". CBS News. September 1, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  57. ^ Placko, Dane (September 20, 2023). "Investigative report reveals Dolton residents are shelling out big bucks for mayor's security detail". FOX 32 Chicago. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
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  60. ^ a b c Henyard v. The Municipal Officers of Village of Dolton, 2022 IL App (1st) 220898 ( Ill. App. 1st D. 5th Div. October 6, 2022).
  61. ^ a b Nolan, Mike (June 29, 2022). "Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard says her supporters stayed home, viewed recall as illegal". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  62. ^ "Combined Summary" (PDF). Cook County Clerk's Office. June 28, 2022. pp. 58–59. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  63. ^ a b Jogsma, Melanie (March 4, 2022). "Surprise twist: Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard becomes Thornton Township Supervisor". The Lansing Journal. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
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  66. ^ Alliance, Local News (April 23, 2023). "Residents voice praise and concerns at Thornton Township annual meeting; supervisor accuses media of 'defamation of character'". Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
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  68. ^ Nolan, Mike (February 5, 2024). "Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard announces $1 million for housing help during Facebook event". Chicago Tribune.
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  72. ^ Kukulka, Alexandra (March 20, 2024). "Referendum roundup: Thornton Township votes down mental health, Homer Glen voters support dissolving Homer Township". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
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  74. ^ Plowman, Jess (January 23, 2024). "Township supervisor gets $224K, but salary drops to $25K if voters pick someone else". Illinois Policy. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
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  78. ^ Bootsma, Josh (February 26, 2024). "Journal reporter denied entrance to Thornton Township Black History event, told NDA was needed". The Lansing Journal. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
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  85. ^ Kraft, John; Allen, Kirk (September 5, 2022). "South Suburban College Threatened to Cancel Mayor Tiffany Henyard's Good Burger Contract Over Unsanitary Conditions". The Southland Journal. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tiffany Henyard
Mayor of Dolton
Assumed office
May 8, 2021
Preceded byRiley Rogers
Supervisor of Thornton Township
Assumed office
March 3, 2022
Preceded by Frank Zuccarelli
Dolton Village Trustee
In office
May 2013 – May 2021
Personal details
Born (1983-06-18) June 18, 1983 (age 40)
Dolton, Illinois, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Education Robert Morris University Illinois
Website

Tiffany Aiesha Henyard [1] (born June 18, 1983) [2] is an American politician currently serving as the mayor of Dolton, Illinois, since 2021 and as Thornton Township supervisor since 2022. She previously served two terms as a member of the Dolton Village Board of Trustees from 2013 through 2021. Henyard won election as a trustee in 2013 and 2017, and election as mayor in 2021. She was appointed supervisor in 2022.

As mayor and supervisor, Henyard has become embroiled in scandals involving allegations of financial mismanagement, corruption, fraud, and other misconduct. She has been at odds with the majority of the village's Board of Trustees. In early 2024, the Illinois Attorney General's office began scrutinizing Henyard's activities as mayor and her nonprofit organization. In late February 2024, it was revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was interviewing witnesses about Henyard. Henyard is also under civil investigation by the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and is a defendant in a number of lawsuits. Mayor Henyard has been described as one of the most corrupt small town Mayors in the United States by those who live in Dolton. She allegedly has corrupted the entire Police Force to be used as a private security force for herself and uses them to retaliate against her perceived political enemies including city small businesses. The Police Force has been alleged to provide her security 24 hours a day leading to massive overtime bills for Police Officers assigned to her security. As of April 19th, 2024, the FBI has entered the Dolton City Hall to serve subpoenas for records related to the alleged corruption by members of the town governement. Also at this time, the City of Dolton is said to be several millions dollars in the red due to the leadership of Mayor Henyard.

Early life, education, and career

Henyard grew up in Dolton, [3] and graduated from Thornridge High School. [4] She received a degree in business administration from Robert Morris University Illinois. [3] Henyard is a lifelong resident of Dolton. [5]

In 2011, Henyard got her start in government and politics by working on then-governor Pat Quinn's "Put Illinois to Work" initiative. [6]

Henyard regards Dorothy Brown, the former longtime Cook County clerk of courts, to have been her mentor. [7] She regards Frank Zuccarelli, the late longtime supervisor of Thornton Township, to have been another mentor of hers. Conversely, Tiffany has also used racial slurs to describe the previous administration under Frank Zuccarelli as corrupt. During a town meeting with Trustees, she alleged that there was theft of public monies by Zuccarelli, describing the Zuccarelli administration using the phrase, “white is right” (Lansing Journal youtube, March 2024) . [6]

Dolton village trustee (2013–2021)

Henyard served as a village trustee of Dolton, [8] having first won election in the 2013 plurality-at-large election. [9] Supporters dubbed Henyard the "People's Trustee". [10] She was re-elected in 2017. [11]

Henyard became a sharp critic of Mayor Riley Rogers. [12] She was one of only two trustees to vote against overturning Rogers' veto on the city's budget appropriation for the 2018–19 fiscal year. With the board of trustees successfully overriding the veto in a 4–2 vote, ten village employees were immediately laid off from their positions. [13] In 2018, she joined several other village trustees in launching a legal challenge to block ballot measures championed by Rogers from appearing on the ballot. The challenge was unsuccessful. However, the separate ballot measures on whether to reduce the size of the board of trustees and whether place term limits on board membership both failed before voters. [14] [15]

As a trustee, Henyard started the city's "Block by Block" program, which allowed people to purchase vacant houses for $5,000 in aims of allowing the city to begin again collecting tax revenue from those properties. [10]

In August 2019, CBS 2 Chicago ( WBBM-TV) reported that a residence which Henyard owned as a landlord and for which she received Section 8 housing subsidies had a severe mold problem, as well as issues with water leakage. In November 2019, the same channel reported that the residence's mold situation had become severe enough that it was deemed uninhabitable and its tenant was forced to move out, but that Henyard had continued to receive Section 8 Housing subsidies. [16] [17] Her tenant accused her of failing to remedy the mold problem, and media scrutiny raised more concerns over the prior inspection history of the property. [18]

2021 mayoral campaign

Henyard had indicated her interest in running for mayor as early as 2018. [14] She announced her candidacy in October 2020. [3] At a 2021 event advertised to be the kickoff for her mayoral campaign, Henyard gave away free gasoline. Legal experts told CBS 2 Chicago that the move was legally questionable, and might be seen as vote buying. Henyard's campaign refuted accusations of vote buying. [19] Tony Valukas, who had been the Reagan-era U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, contributed $5,000 to Henyard's campaign committee and endorsed one the of the trustee candidates that she herself had co-endorsed for election. [20] During the campaign, Mayor Rogers suffered a stroke. Henyard publicly wished him well. [20]

Henyard ran on a reform platform that criticized Rogers' mayoralty. [12] Touting herself as a "change" candidate, she declared that she would bring a government of, "love, transparency and accountability". [20]

Henyard was elected as mayor of Dolton in 2021. She defeated incumbent mayor Riley Rogers in a four-way primary for the Democratic nomination. She received more than 34% of the vote against Rogers, Andrew Holmes (a village trustee and community activist), and Robert Shaw (a politician who was the brother of the deceased past Dolton mayor William Shaw). [9] [18] [21] She went on to defeat independent candidate Ronnie Burge in the April general election, winning approximately 82% of the vote. [19] Burge was the current police chief of nearby Dixmoor, Illinois, and had formerly been Dolton's police chief. [9]

Henyard ran with a slate that she dubbed the "Dream Team". From this slate, two of the three trustee candidates were elected (Kiana Belcher and incumbent Jason House), as was village clerk candidate Alison Key. [9] [22] Her relationship with these individuals would sour. [23] By April 2022 (roughly a year after the election), the three were joining most of the village board in pursuing legal action against Henyard. [24] [25]

Mayoral tenure (2021–present)

Henyard was sworn in as mayor on May 8, 2021, becoming the first female mayor of the village, as well as the youngest in its history (being 37 years old). [26]

In February 2024, Fox 32 Chicago ( WFLD) reported that numerous individuals in Dolton had confirmed to them that they were interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as part of an evident probe into Henyard's activities as mayor. [27] The Chicago Tribune soon after reported that an unnamed law enforcement official had confirmed to them that a FBI investigation into Henyard existed. [28] The Dolton Board of Trustees' legislative counsel, Burt Odelson, noted in April 2024 that the village government was a defendant in almost forty active lawsuits related to Henyard's conduct. [29]

Relationship with the village board of trustees

Within the first half-year of her tenure Henyard faced criticism from trustees. [30] [31] Areas of criticism have included her use of municipal funds; [32] and a lack of government transparency. [33] Within her first year as mayor, the village board filed a lawsuit against Henyard which alleged that she had conflicts of interest. [34] In response, she has accused select members of the village board of causing upheaval [8] and locked trustees out of their offices, canceling board meetings. The trustees then held meetings without her presence [31] and censured her in October 2021. [35]

In February 2024, the board of trustees adopted a resolution addressed to the Cook County state's attorney, United States attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Cook County sheriff, and the Illinois State Board of Elections calling for an investigation into Henyard. Henyard vetoed the resolution. [36] Her veto was overridden on April 8. [37]

Accusations of retaliation and civil rights violations

Numerous village residents, employees, and business owners have accused Henyard of using her position to retaliate against perceived political opposition, including alleged use by Henyard of the village police force to harass businesses whose owners had not supported her and extort business owners for campaign contributions from business owners. [8] [38] [39] [40] She has also been accused of firing several village employees for political reasons. [39] [41]

In early 2024, Redeemed Christian Church of God Resurrection Power Assembly filed a lawsuit against Henyard and the Village of Dolton alleging that the village had discriminated against them. The suit asserts that the village not act in accordance with the its zoning codes when it prevented the church from renovating a building it had acquired. [42] [43]

Illinois Department of Human Rights investigation

In March 2024, after reviewing files obtained through a Freedom of Information request, NBC Chicago ( WMAQ-TV) made public that the Illinois Department of Human Rights is investigating a matter against Henyard, the Village of Dolton, and Thornton Township in which Henyard's former assistant alleged to have been sexually assaulted by a village trustee and subsequently retaliated against by Henyard. The investigation stems from two separate complaints about the matter. Both complainants asked the Illinois Department of Human Rights to help them to receive back pay, front pay, attorney's fees, and punitive damages. [44] Henyard has alleged that these allegations are false and are from "disgruntled" employees. [45]

Spending

By 2022, Henyard faced allegations of spending village funds without proper approval from the board of trustees or the village clerk. [46] [47] Trustees and Henyard argued at council meetings over city spending. [48] In January 2024, city trustee Brittney Norwood expressed worry that Dolton was headed towards bankruptcy due to the spending, noting that it had $7 million in debt. Village trustees have expressed concern about the village's debt, and that it was not meeting its financial obligations. [49]

In February 2024, the village board of trustees, in a 4–2 vote, overrode Henyard's veto of their budget for the 2024–25 fiscal year, which included budget cuts. [50] Henyard alleged that the cuts in the budget would bankrupt Dolton. [51] In February 2024, the village was warned by a lender[ who?] that thirteen vehicles used by the police department are at risk of repossession. Henyard argued that the village board trustees had refused to permit payment on the vehicles, which Village Trustee Jason House refuted countering that such payments had been approved by the board months earlier. [52]

Appointment and hiring actions

One of Henyard's first actions after becoming mayor was hiring Robert Collins to serve as Dolton's police chief. Collins had previously served in the position, but had resigned the previous year. She retained Steven McCain as the city's fire chief. [26] In October 2023, Henyard fired Collins. [53] In early 2024, Collins filed a wrongful termination lawsuit alleging that his dismissal had come without cause and without approval from the village board, and that it had been motivated as retribution for the mayor's perception of his wife and a number of his personal acquaintances as being political adversaries. [54]

In October 2021, the board of trustees voted to require Henyard to make any hiring or firing of village employees subject to the board's advice and consent. [35] Village trustees have accused Henyard of disregarding this and continuing to make staffing changes without their advice and consent. [46]

Policing

In 2021, the fatal shooting by a police officer brought civil unrest in Dolton and criticism of Henyard by protesters. [55] [56]

Security detail

In September 2023, Fox 32 Chicago published an investigative report on Henyard's use of a police security detail, noting that this practice cost Dolton citizens hundreds of thousands annually. [57]

Critics of Henyard on the board of trustees[ who?] have characterized Henyard's redirection of police resources towards her own security detail as being to the detriment of public safety in Dolton. [33] In October 2021, the board of trustees voted to attempt to require her to pay the city back for her police protection. [35] In February 2024, Black Enterprise reported that Henyard's security detail had already cost the village approximately $1 million. [38] In March 2024, Fox 32 Chicago reported on work records it received via a Freedom of Information Request which showed her security detail being paid for a substantial number of work hours and overtime hours, with one officer having previously been paid for 303 hours in a two-week period. [58]

Other actions

In early 2024, Samysha Williams, who had been a candidate in the 2023 Dolton village trustee elections, filed to sue Henyard and Henyard's campaign committee for libel and defamation. In the same lawsuit, the individual alleged that she had been wrongfully terminated in 2022 from her job with the village while taking family leave. [59]

Recall attempt

In April 2022, the Dolton Village Board added two questions aimed at recalling Henyard to a ballot on June 28, 2022, the same time as primaries for the 2022 Illinois elections. The first question would have established a recall mechanism, [a] and the second would have recalled Henyard. [b] In June 2022, Judge Paul Karkula directed the Cook County Clerk to disregard votes cast on the referendums, however the Illinois Appellate Court granted a partial stay of the ruling, directing the clerk to tally ballots. [61] Both questions passed, with 56.5% of voters voting to establish the recall mechanism and 56.1% of voters voting to recall Henyard. [62] Henyard said that these results were due to her supporters not voting due to the chaotic nature of the court cases. [61] The Illinois Appellate Court ruled on October 6, 2022, that the referenda were illegal, and issued a permanent injunction against the certification of them. [60]

Thornton Township Supervisor (2022–present)

Appointment to the office

Following the death of incumbent Frank Zuccarelli, Henyard was appointed and sworn in as the supervisor of the Thornton Township on March 3, 2022. She was appointed by the Thornton Township Board in a vote that took place close to a legal deadline for the board to fill the position, after which they would have ceded the appointment decision to a town hall-style meeting of township electors. [4] [63] Henyard was chosen over eight other individuals nominated for the position. [63] Thornton Township is one of 29 civil townships in Cook County, Illinois, and overlaps with Dolton.[ citation needed] It is one of the largest townships in Illinois, and employs more than 170 individuals, some full-time and others part-time. [6] It contains several of the state's most impoverished communities. [64] Henyard is the youngest person, the first woman, and the first African American supervisor of Thornton Township. [34]

Spending and finances

Henyard has alleged that she inherited a problematic financial situation in the township. When she took office, allegedly the township's payrolls were compensating "ghost employees" who did little work and the township had a $5 million budget deficit. She has asserted that she has addressed that deficit. [65]

Assistance programs

Henyard has continued the Zuccarelli Assistance Program (ZAP), renaming it the Henyard Assistance Program (HAP). [66] This program gives teenagers above the age of sixteen summer jobs mowing the lawns of senior citizens. [67]

In February 2024, with Henyard's backing, the township board earmarked $1 million dollars for assistance to those behind on their rents and mortgages through the township's general assistance department. Henyard described the program as providing a maximum of $3,000 in aid to individuals at least two months behind on such payments, but not those already in the process of being evicted. Sources of funding for the program were not explicitly identified. [68]

In both April 2023 and March 2024, Henyard and the township board presented voters with ballot referendums on whether create a 0.15% township property tax that would have been earmarked for mental health services. It was estimated that the tax would generate $3 million annually. [69] [70] In April 2023, voters rejected the proposal by a vote of 51% to 49%. [70] Ahead of the March 2024 vote, mayors from eleven out of the seventeen municipalities in the township co-signed an open letter urging for residents to vote against the referendum. The mayors cited what they say was a lack of details from Henyard on how the funds would be spent. [69] [71] In that vote, voters again rejected the proposal, this time by a double-digit margin. [72]

Salary, and decrease for future supervisors

Henyard's annual salary as supervisor is $224,000, equal to her predecessor's since 2017. At Henyard's urging, in December 2023 the township adopted a resolution that will result in a future 90% decrease to the supervisor's salary. However, this decrease is only to come into effect for the next supervisor, meaning that the supervisor salary will remain the same as long as her tenure continues. While Henyard will retain a salary $224,000 so long as she (as the incumbent) continues to hold the office of township supervisor, any successor will be paid a $25,000 salary in the same office. [73] Similar salary decreases were passed for future township trustees, also retaining current salaries for incumbents so long as they continue to hold office. [74]

Municipal attorney Burt Odelson, who stands in political opposition to Henyard, called the move, "so illegal in so many ways" and "violates so many tenets of the law." Odelson called it, "maybe the worst attempt to try to dissuade people from running [for office as challengers]". He argued that equal protection requires salaries to be "identity blind", meaning that they cannot change based upon who holds the office. [75]

Accusations of retaliation

In August 2023, Henyard was accused of having locked the township assessor, a political adversary, out of the assessor's own office in an apparent act of retaliation. [76] [77] In late-February 2024, reporters were barred from attending a public township Black History Month event, being told that they would need to sign a non-disclosure agreement in order to be granted admission. [78]

In 2024, a lawsuit was filed against Henyard and the township by a former township employee alleging that they had faced retribution for their refusal to compile a document for Henyard detailing "dirt" on township employees and their decision to take a leave of absence which they were entitled to under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The plaintiff alleges that, after the end of her leave, she was refused entry into the township building and forced to complete her work in her car. The plaintiff alleges that her employment was terminated after complaining about six weeks of pay she had not received. [41]

Tiffany Henyard Cares nonprofit

Henyard founded Tiffany Henyard Cares, a charitable nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to assist individuals with cancer. [32] CARES is a backronym for "Cancer and Remission Empowering Survivors". [79] Henyard's nonprofit has received significant promotion on her government websites and government social media accounts. [80]

In May 2023, an investigative report by Fox 32 Chicago made allegations of misconduct regarding municipal government interaction with the foundation, alleging that Henyard had, "funneled thousands of dollars in taxpayer money to a private foundation that bears her name." The report noted that thousands of taxpayer dollars had been spent on a group bicycle ride to the state capitol in Springfield, Illinois to support a bill related to breast cancer, despite the fact that the state legislature was not in session at the time and that the cited bill was never formally filed. The report also pointed out that the officers of the organization also worked for the city government. [81]

A January 2024 investigation by WGN-TV's investigative journalism team reported that, "the Tiffany Henyard Cares Foundation benefited from money, manpower and promotion from the village of Dolton and Thornton Township, two municipalities led by Henyard." Their reporting noted that the registered agent of the nonprofit is Keith Freeman, who is also the village administrator of Dolton and an advisor to Henyard in her Thornton Township position. It also noted that the township spent $10,248 on hotels that were on the route of a 2022 protest traveling between Dolton and Springfield, Illinois that was sponsored by the nonprofit, and there have been instances where township trustees were requested to approve large sums of funding to be directed to the charity. [80]

In January 2024, it was reported that the nonprofit had not been filing the required basic financial reports that charities and non-profits are required to, even after the Office of the Attorney General of Illinois had previously written to the nonprofit about this failure. In a follow-up letter dated January 17, 2024, the office's charitable trusts bureau informed the nonprofit that if they failed to comply by February 16, the bureau would pursue, "all available legal remedies in obtaining compliance with the Illinois charitable organization laws." [80] After the charity failed to meet this deadline, the Illinois Attorney General's Office ordered it to cease soliciting donations, and threatened to take action to recover money that had been paid to its board members and staff. [82] The Illinois Attorney General's Office also noted that the nonprofit is not in good standing nor registered with the state. [79]

In March 2024, a representative of the nonprofit responded to the Illinois Attorney General's Office, but provided an incomplete filings that lacked key records on its finances. The incomplete filing illustrated that nearly all of the nonprofit's funding came from township and village taxpayer money. [83]

Personal life

Henyard is a single mother. [6] [26] [84]

Henyard previously owned a restaurant named "Good Burger", originally located in Calumet City and then on the campus of South Suburban College. [85] [5]

Awards and recognition

At a local "Martin Luther King Jr. Business Brunch" in 2024, Henyard received the "Martin Luther King Service Award". [86]

Electoral history

2013 Dolton village trustee
2013 Dolton village trustees election Democratic primary [87]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tiffany Henyard 692 35.04
Democratic Robert E. Hunt Jr. 663 33.57
write-in Mary Kay Duggan 338 17.11
write-in Stanley "Stan" Brown 282 14.28
Total votes 1,975 100
2013 Dolton village trustees election [88]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert E. Hunt Jr. 1,648 17.29
Democratic Tiffany A. Henyard 1,574 16.52
Democratic Stanley "Stan" Brown 1,479 15.52
People's Party Of Dolton Deborah Green 873 9.16
Unified for Progress Denise Harris 707 7.42
People's Party Of Dolton William Lochart 652 6.84
Unified for Progress James T. Jefferson 600 6.30
People's Party Of Dolton Willie Lee Lowe Jr. 576 6.04
Unified for Progress Charles Walls 560 5.88
Independent Garrett Ghezzi 278 2.92
Visionary Katina Washington 205 2.15
Visionary Aaron Brown 199 2.09
Visionary Krystel Russell 171 1.79
write-in Others 7 0.07
Total votes 9,529 100
2019 Dolton village trustee
2019 Dolton village trustees election Democratic primary [89]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Deborah M. Denton 1,716 16.11
Democratic Tiffany A. Henyard (incumbent) 1,606 15.08
Democratic Jason House 1,483 13.92
Democratic Robert E. Hunt Jr. 1,407 13.21
Democratic Meryl "Deneen" Williams 1,372 12.88
Democratic Ernesto E. Mickens 1,278 12.00
Democratic Felita D. Crayton 475 4.46
Democratic Mary E. Avent 390 3.66
Democratic Stanford J. Culp 340 3.19
Democratic Kevin A. Boens 272 2.55
Democratic Willie L. Lowe Jr. 211 1.98
Democratic Helaine Yates 103 0.97
Total votes 10,653 100
2017 Dolton village trustees election [11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Deborah M. Denton 897 34.41
Democratic Tiffany A. Henyard (incumbent) 807 30.96
Democratic Jason House 856 32.83
write-in Others 47 1.80
Total votes 2,607 100
2021 Dolton mayoral
2021 Dolton mayoral Democratic primary election [90]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tiffany A. Henyard 1,001 34.28
Democratic Riley Rogers (incumbent) 888 30.41
Democratic Andrew Holmes 862 29.52
Democratic Robert Shaw 169 5.79
Total votes 2,920 100
2021 Dolton mayoral general election [91]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tiffany A. Henyard 2,036 82.03
Independent Ronnie Burge 446 17.97
Total votes 2,482 100
Democratic hold

Notes

  1. ^ The text of the question read as "Shall the following recall mechanism be adopted and effective immediately, upon certification by the County Clerk, for the Village of Dolton?: Recall of the Village President (Mayor) Recall of the Village President (Mayor) of the Village of Dolton is established, applicable to, and effective as of the certification of results of the June 28, 2022 General Primary Election. 'Recall' shall mean the power of the electorate of the Village of Dolton to remove the Village President (Mayor) from office, and to immediately create a vacancy in the office of the Village President (Mayor) to be filled in the manner provided by law for filling such vacancy, by a majority vote of those voting on a question of whether to recall and remove the Village President (Mayor) of the Village of Dolton at a regularly scheduled election. Said question of whether to recall and remove the Village President (Mayor) of the Village of Dolton may be submitted either by resolution of the Dolton Corporate Authorities or by petition in the manner prescribed by law for the submission of public questions." [60]
  2. ^ The text of the question read as "If the recall mechanism is passed by a majority of voters at the June 28, 2022 General Primary Election, shall Tiffany A. Henyard be recalled and removed from the office of Village President (Mayor) of the Village of Dolton, effective upon certification of the election results by the Cook County Clerk?" [60]

References

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